Wichita eagle., 1887-10-09

: gether before painting and talk against
Inc loud peals of an organ assisted by q
hundred voices and a section of brass
band. l don't know what the people
thought, but they stared at us as If we
were escaped lunatics In the noise and
confusion that prevailed we paid but little
heed to the guide, but on our own
hook silently admired the antique
columns supporting the gilded ceilings of
Tuscan Gothic architecture, the carved
pulpit and the affairs designed by Michael
Angelo, the bronze doors, rare pictures and
the veritsble swinging lamp from which
Calico got the idea of the pendulum. In
front of the cathedral is said to be the finest
bapistry In the world. guess there is no
question about 1t. 1t Is built of marble 100
feet In diameter and 1870 feet high. The
baptismal font stands In the center and q
little to one side is unique pulpit standing
on seven columns. with some superb
obtained Is something wonderful. Our
guide produced sounds with his voice
that came back to us with all the sweet
cadences that could be produced by deep
toned organ.
The Campo Santo is small square filled
in with earth transported In ships from the
rounded By hall over 400 feet long and
$50 feet wide, constructed In 1878, and
contains many frescoes and splendid monu-
ments. One of the old frescoes, dim with
age, Is a representation of hell 1t is ON an
extensive scale and horrible enough to
have been painted by Gustave Dore. It
had now grown too late to do anything
more than to inspect the great tower from
. hn before
train time a party of US return
ed, and after gaining admittance
commenced the spiral ascent to the belfry.
There are 2S4 steps to climb, aud as the
guide faceitously remarked, 204 to come
down. There were only two ladies of our
party possessing the temerity to undertake
The task. They hailed from Kansas and
Massachusetts, and showed their pluck not
only In reaching the belfry. but after having
attained an elevation of 175 feet high and
fourteen out Of the perpendicular, laid hold
Of the rope which the tired bell ringer was
monotonously pulling to and fro, and in
fused some of their superintendent energy
into the tongue Of the old bell that made il
fairly talk. The view from here Is mag
nificent One Can see the Apprentices. the
rich valley Of the Arno through which the
river winds like a silver ribbon, the Azure
sea It aecting an azure sky-sav where tW
black looking hulks-Elba and Corsica
seem to float on its surface, lastly the ole
ely towards which you lean and grow
dizzy.
The principal occupation of the Pisan
seems 10 be delving and dealing In marble
The best Qusrries of Parian maj BILE are no
far distant from here This excellent ma
terial Of virgin purity and whiteness i
sculp,ured into all manner OF statue
g statuettes, and brio a-brac. but in the lat
ter alabasrer Is used to 8 considerable eI
, tent In Pisa, as elsewhere In Italy, tn
most skillful workmen In mosaics, preciOu
stones and marbles are Jews, and nigh
add that the handling and sale of them ar
t almost exclusively confined to men aD'
> women OF their race. Generally speskin!
they are eager to sell, and will 'knocl
e down" handsomely rather than not to effec
e a sale. II became second nature to SOD
of us TO select an article, price it. offer 2
per cent less and then break for the door
y a hurried invitation to "cnme back" a.
t WAYS resulted In trade. Ny fancy caugh
e on 10 An exquisite little marble psyche
about sixteen inches In height. whic
Isaac priced to me at % lire go offere
U him twenty, at which he looked horrifie
c and shock bis head turned my back o
2 him and started for the hotel but ha
;. scarcelv got five steps from the door whe
| fel, hand on my shoulder accompsniet
by the persuasive words come back.
q went.
e From Pisa we journeyed direct to Turin
II stopping long enough at Geneva to take
4 look al the sIsiue OF Christopher Colum
bus" which Mark Twain makes such
t.
q ed In 1863 snd Is fine monuner
!, supplemented with several sllegorical sta
!. ues aud reliefs. Geneva is the chief com
d mercial city of Italy and contains one hur
Il dred and eighty Thousand people Il
e real well fortified, has a vsst number c
fine marble buildings and many band.om
!. residences bull, on terraces. resembling
= vas: amphithester almo.t TO the top of
very high elevation Many Of the house
;, are frescoed on the outside aud painted
e all hues and colors.
+ regretted our inability to stay here owe
9 night instead of further on a; Turin, wher
o there wss nothing 70 see excep. q very clea
e and pro- porous city OF two hundred 81
;, twenty thousand people, with vide streei
q Is'd out at right angles and arcades srount
1 the principal squares and business streets
q The s,reef car system here Is fee and trs
e verses all parts Of tie city. The shops ar
| perfect models Of neatness and filed Q
4 overdowing with merchandise. OF cours
= the windows a. Is tie c1se all over Europe
. mirror The contents Of each store In q man
1 per truly fascinating 10 the onlooker
:. One obtains charming vie~ Of, ID
9 .pow clad summit 81 the Alps from here
b and after the terrible heat of southern Iiall
l,tws. quite solsce 70 lock AZ the noun
: ,a,ns snd feel the sir tempered BY u
q lev breath Of the Snow King. vhc
5 dwells-in regions exalted IS the cls'uo
, and cruel - tie grave. The rsilssy JOUR